josb posts
FeedPosted Jun 17th 2010 2:00PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, CVS Corp (CVS), Stocks to Buy
"Most investors wouldn't give a fund described as 'relatively prosaic, dull, conservative' a second glance; that, however, is exactly how John Neff described the Windsor Fund that he headed for more than three decades," notes John Reese, an advisor who models specific portfolios designed around the stated investing strategies of many of the stock market's most legendary investors.
In his Validea newsletter, Reese explains, "And, while his style may not have been flashy or eye-catching, the returns he generated for clients were dazzling -- so dazzling that Neff's track record may be the greatest ever for a mutual fund manager.
"Over his 31-year tenure (1964-1995), Windsor averaged a 13.7 percent annual return, beating the market by an average of 3.1 percent per year.
Continue reading Ten Top Value Plays: Spotlight on John Neff
Posted Dec 5th 2009 12:40PM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Staples Inc (SPLS), Toll Brothers (TOL), Marvell Technology Group (MRVL)
Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:
- Aeropostale Inc. (ARO) strong Q3 results topped analysts expectations, and it offered Q4 earnings guidance.
- Cascade Corp. (CASC) reported a surprise Q3 profit but lower revenue fell short of expectations.
- Collective Brands Inc. (PSS) reported strong Q3 earnings as well as same-store sales growth.
- Cost Plus Inc. (CPWM) narrowed its net loss in Q3 but revenue and same-stores sales declined.
- Del Monte Foods Co. (DLM) posted strong Q2 results and raised its earnings outlook for the full year.
- Diamond Foods Inc. (DMND) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings, but said that revenue declined.
Continue reading Earnings highlights: Aeropostale, Del Monte, Guess, Shanda, Staples, Toll Bros. ...
Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:30AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Analyst Initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- Collins Stewart upgraded General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) to Buy from Hold as it finds the valuation compelling at current levels and sees potential upside from a better economy and better-than-expected defense budgets.
- SunTrust views the sell-off in shares of Cabot Oil (NYSE: COG) as a buying opportunity and expects the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection order to be resolved quickly. The firm upgraded Cabot to Buy from Neutral.
- Barclays upgraded Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) to Overweight from Equal Weight based on expectations for improved carrier demand, continued U.S. momentum, and an improved Europe.
- Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
- Stericycle (NASDAQ: SRCL) was upgraded to Gradually Accumulate from Hold at Soleil.
- Grupo Televisa (NYSE: TV) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMAT, CSCO, GD, HOT, LIZ, RBS ...
Posted Sep 10th 2009 2:20PM by Mark Fightmaster (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports
Wednesday, Men's Wearhouse (NYSE: MW) posted solid earnings results but a disappointing forecast. Just a week ago, JoS. A. Bank (NASDAQ: JOSB) saw its second-quarter earnings increase 40% as well. The company earned 68 cents per share in the quarter, easily outpacing expectations for a profit of 54 cents per share. Unlike Men's Wearhouse, JoS. A. Bank did not issue a disappointing forecast -- so the stock has vaulted above prior resistance at the $44 level, which could now act as support.
Turning to a monthly chart for JoS. A. Bank, the stock is facing a crucial point -- as it is nearing its 2004 high in the $48 region. If the stock can topple this region, we could see it challenge the all-time highs set in September 2008. Considering the fact that the company's sales grew 10% in the latest quarter, I feel that a new all-time high may be a short jump away.
Continue reading Will JoS. A. Bank benefit from Men's Wearhouse's earnings results?
Posted Jun 19th 2009 4:40PM by Melly Alazraki (RSS feed)
Filed under: Pfizer (PFE), Ford Motor (F), Home Depot (HD), Diageo plc (DEO), Best Buy (BBY), Lilly (Eli) (LLY), Harley-Davidson (HOG), Stocks to Buy

Every year I find myself asking the same question: What to get dad for Father's Day. Well, Kiplinger's offers not to get our dads the same old presents -- another tie, another power tool -- but
stocks in companies he probably likes or uses their products. That's a great idea, I thought, and decided to counter with five of my own.
- Kiplinger's suggests: Diageo (NYSE: DEO), the seller of such brands as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness and José Cuervo. Diageo has held up better than most during the recession -- thanks to a balanced portfolio of products, with higher exposure to mid-price, mainstream brands and less exposure to ultra-premium brands. The shares look reasonably priced. At $56.01, Diageo trades at 15 times estimated June 2009 earnings of $3.82 a share. The stock yields 2.8%.
- Another to consider: Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), the seller of such brands as Coors, Blue Moon, Pilsner and Rickard's. Beer, probably even more so than hard liquor is supposed to hold better during a recession given the cheaper price point. The company's recent quarterly profits more than doubled. The shares trade at 13 times forward earnings of $3.33 and yield 2.2%.
Continue reading Five stocks for Father's Day from Kiplinger's ... and five more
Posted Apr 11th 2009 11:40AM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports, Brinker Intl (EAT), Alcoa Inc (AA), Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY), Family Dollar Stores (FDO), Research in Motion (RIMM), Morgan Stanley (MS), Wells Fargo (WFC)
Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:
Continue reading Earnings highlights: Family Dollar, Bed Bath & Beyond, Alcoa, Wells Fargo and more
Posted Apr 8th 2009 10:50AM by Mark Fightmaster (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports, Good news
Mens' clothing retailer JoS A. Bank Clothiers (NASDAQ: JOSB) announced its fiscal-year profit this morning -- logging rather impressive earnings of $3.17 per share. A year ago, JOSB reported earnings of $2.72 per share. This year's results were also 10 cents better than what the Street expected. Yearly net sales increased to $695.9 million, up from $604 million a year ago.
Many may find it difficult to believe that a clothing retailer could have a better year this year than last, what's the deal? One reason could be that JOSB delivers quite a bit of value for the dollar. For those not familiar with the company, men can purchase a complete "work-appropriate" outfit for less than $400 (from the suit jacket to the socks).
Continue reading JoS A. Bank Clothier logs an impressive fiscal year
Posted Mar 18th 2009 10:30AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Stocks to Buy, Recession
In his Validea newsletter and his just published book Guru Strategies, stock advisor John Reese assesses companies based on the investment strategies of "legendary investors" such as Ben Graham and Warren Buffett.
Recently, the advisor has highlighted two retailers that pass his guru screens: Gildan Activewear (NYSE: GIL) and Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (NASDAQ: JOSB). Here's his contrarian look at the two out-of-favor firms.
"You might never have heard Gildan Activewear, a Montreal-based clothing manufacturer, but you may well have worn its products. Gildan sells T-shirts, sport shirts and fleece to wholesale distributors as 'blanks' -- that is, without logos or decorating. Screen printers then decorate the items with various designs and logos.
Continue reading Guru strategies pick apparel retailers
Posted Dec 15th 2008 2:20PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Stocks to Buy
"Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. (NASDAQ: JOSB) matches the value criteria used by our Benjamin Graham stock screening model by 100%," suggests John Reese.
In his Validea newsletter, he assesses stocks based on the strategies of numerous "legendary" stock market investors. Here's his review of the apparel retailing chain.
"Jos. A. Bank is a designer, retailer and direct marketer of men's tailored and casual clothing and accessories through stores, catalog and Internet.
"The company sells substantially all of its products exclusively under the Jos. A. Bank label through its 422 retail stores, as well as through the company's nationwide catalog and Internet operations.
"Our Ben Graham stock selection model requires that the current ratio must be greater than or equal to 2. Companies that meet this criterion are typically financially secure and defensive. JOSB's current ratio of 2.81 passes the test.
Continue reading Jos. A Bank (JOSB): Shopping for value
Posted Jun 12th 2007 10:52AM by Kevin Shult (RSS feed)
Filed under: Before the Bell, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Good news, McDonald's (MCD)
MOST NOTEWORTHY: Joseph A. Bank Clothiers, Inc (JOSB), Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc (TTWO), McDonald's Corp (MCD) and RF Micro Devices (RFMD) were today's more notable upgrades:
- First Albany upgraded shares of Joseph A. Bank Clothiers (NASDAQ: JOSB) to Neutral from Sell, following the Q1 upside and indications that Q2 is off to a strong start.
- Kaufman Brothers raised Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO) to Hold from Sell with an $18 target following the release of Q2 results, saying they see evidence the company is stabilizing. JP Morgan also upgraded TTWO shares to Overweight from Neutral, as the company considers shares attractive ahead of the Grand Theft Auto IV launch in October.
- Goldman added McDonald's Corp (NYSE: MCD) to their Americas Conviction Buy List citing expectations for upward earnings revisions.
- ThinkEquity upgraded shares of RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ: RFMD) to Buy from Source of Funds based on valuation.
OTHER UPGRADES:
Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).Posted Apr 20th 2007 4:00PM by Larry Schutts (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports, , Technical Analysis
In retailing, quality and unconditional guarantees rarely combine to produce low prices. There is a men's clothing outfit in Hampstead, Maryland that aims to balance the equation by working directly with the best factories.
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (NASDAQ: JOSB) is one of the nation's leading retailers of men's classically-styled tailored clothing, footwear and accessories. The firm added casual wear to the mix, when corporate America began recognizing dress-down days. It also debuted the David Leadbetter line of golf wear. The company sells its full product line through 382 stores in 42 states, a nationwide catalog and an e-commerce website. Competitors include Men's Wearhouse (NYSE:MW) and Federated Department Stores (NYSE:FD).
The firm pleased investors earlier in the week, when it reported fiscal Q4 EPS of $1.36 and revenues of $194.1 million.
Analysts had been expecting $1.25 and $190.2 million. Net income for the fiscal year climbed to $2.36 per share ($2.24 consensus) and revenues came in at $546.4 million ($544.3M consensus). JOSB shares popped through 30-day moving average resistance on the news and are now forming a bullish "pennant" consolidation pattern. Prices frequently exit pennants moving in the same direction they were traveling when they entered them. In this case, that would be to the upside.
Brokers recommend the stock with two "strong buys" and five "holds." Analysts see a 15% average annual growth rate, through the next five years. The JOSB P/E ratio (16.27), PEG ratio (1.08), Price to Sales ratio (1.27), Price to Book ratio (3.32), Price to Cash Flow ratio (11.73), Price to Free Cash Flow ratio (23.26), Sales Growth rate (18.48%), EPS Growth rate (33.33%), Return on Assets (12.84%), Return on Investment (19.08%) and Return on Equity (23.88%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages.
The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 600 SmallCap Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $22.14 and $43.62. A stop-loss of $33.75 looks good here.
Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.
Posted Apr 18th 2007 11:24AM by Kevin Shult (RSS feed)
Filed under: Before the Bell, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Bad News, Yahoo! (YHOO), International Business Machines (IBM), TD AmeriTrade Holding (AMTD), Wendy's Intl (WEN)
MOST NOTEWORTHY: IBM Corp (IBM), Wendy's Internatioanl (WEN), Yahoo! (YHOO), Western Digital Corp (WDC) and TD AmeriTrade Holding Corp (AMTD) were today's noteworthy downgrades.
- IBM Corp (NYSE: IBM) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Goldman to reflect the slowdown in domestic technology spending. Credit Suisse downgraded shares of IBM Corp to Neutral from Outperform and ThinkEquity cut IBM to Accumulate from Buy on the same rationale.
- Needham downgraded Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) to Hold from Buy on valuation and the firm's belief that the 2H07 acceleration implied in consensus revenue forecasts could be difficult to exceed given the recent slowdown in display ad growth.
- WR Hambrecht downgraded shares of Western Digital (NYSE: WDC) to Hold from Buy as the firm believes there could be more downside to forward estimates given the aggressive pricing and softer demand environment. The firm sees too many industry risks following Seagate Technology's (STX) earnings conference call.
OTHER DOWNGRADES:
- Raymond James and BMO Capital downgraded U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) to Market Perform from Outperform following its Q1 report.
Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).Next Page >